SIZZLERS and George Soulakis

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Volume 11, Issue 06 June 2009 INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Sizzlers and George Soulakis 1 Ads 2 T-Town Wheelers Corner 2 A Word from Robert 3 TTW Meeting Themes 3 40th Ann.

com SIZZLERS and George Soulakis It was 1969 and George Soulakis a designer at Mattel toys began working on a different breed of Hot Wheels called Sizzlers.

1 Volume 11, Issue 06 June 2009 INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Sizzlers and George Soulakis 1 Ads 2 T-Town Wheelers Corner 2 A Word from Robert 3 TTW Meeting Themes 3 40th Ann. 100% Red Box List 5 40th Ann 100% Two Car Sets 6 Remember: The next TTW Club meeting will be at the Hardesty Library just east of 93rd and Memorial. From 1:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m., Saturday, July 11th, TTW SHOW DATES August 15th October 17th We need your Hot Wheel related articles for the Newsletter or a story about how you started collecting. Send your articles to: T-TOWN WHEELERS PO BOX Tulsa, OK Check us out on the web SIZZLERS and George Soulakis It was 1969 and George Soulakis a designer at Mattel toys began working on a different breed of Hot Wheels called Sizzlers. They were unique and billed to be the Worlds Fastest Electric Cars. George went to General Electric to have a special battery made for these cars and they came up with the first rechargeable Nickel Cadmium battery. These 1.2 volt batteries took a 90-second charge that would run the cars for five to seven minutes. Mattel later developed a longer and narrower chassis requiring the development of a longer and narrower battery. By 1970, the Sizzlers line was ready to hit the shelves. Cars were originally packaged on a cardboard pedestal covered with a plastic box. Because these boxes were designed to store and display cars, many of them have survived in remarkable condition. Six 1970 models were introduced: Angelino M-70 Firebird Trans-Am Ford Mark IV Hot Head Mustang Boss 302 Revvin' Heaven 70 Firebird Trans Am The 1970 models were an instant hit. These cars were painted in several different colors. Although the Hot Wheels line used the Spectraflame paint schemes most of the 1970 Sizzlers models were painted with straight enamel. Spectraflame was impractical and cost prohibitive for Sizzlers to do on a mass scale. This was due to the Spectraflame process requiring cars to be chrome plated then painted. Only a few exceptions in the early line were available this way. The Angelino M-70 came in chrome and green chrome, the Firebird T/A came in a pearl white which was a see-thru white painted over chrome and the Ford Mark IV came in red chrome. There may be other chrome color variations as Mattel did many interesting things with paint and color variations during this time. As with the Hot Wheels line, the Sizzlers line included accessories for their track sets accessories included: Single Lane Speed Brake and Esses Kit Dual Lane Speed Brake and Esses Kit Power Pit Juice Machine The Power Pit was the ultimate charger. It looked like a '60s service station, and plugged into the wall. You could then turn a timer, and it would automatically charge the cars for up to 90 seconds. Orange strip track sets were sold with the 1970 Sizzlers. Single or double lane oval and figure eights made up the line sets included: Atlantic 8 Set California 8 Race Set Daredevil Duel Set (extremely RARE) Laguna Oval Set National Champ Race Set Newport Pacer Set Pacific 8 Set U.S. 8 Set 1971 was a big year for Sizzlers. New body designs dictated the advent of a longer battery. This battery was mounted lengthwise in the car. These are now (Continued on page 3)

2 Page 2 ALL MEMBERS ARE ALLOWED ONE FREE ADVERTISING SPACE IN THIS NEWSLETTER AS PART OF THEIR MEMBERSHIP I have been collecting a few Larryʹs Garage ʺchase carsʺ with the initials. I have a few doubles, so if you are interested in some swaps, please me at rfizer1@cox.net for the latest list. T-TOWN WHEELERS CORNER Club Car Committee If you would like to participate in the club car committee now is the time to hear from you. We have always had a good time recreating unique Club Cars for our members. Upcoming TTW Meetings Mark your calendars, (note the change for April) for our 2009 TTW Meetings at the Hardesty Library in Tulsa located just east of 93rd and Memorial. Please make note of remaining 2009 meeting dates. Due to renovations at the Hardesty we could not secure meeting rooms for the first Saturday of every month. All meeting times are the same and will be 1:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M. Jul 11 Aug 1 Sep 5 Oct 10 Nov 14 Dec 12 Upcoming TTW SHOWS August 15th October 17th Come and join the fun next month. It is a great time for all and a free Treasure Hunt is given away at every meeting T-TOWN WHEELERS CLUB OFFICERS President: Robert Priebe (918) Co-Vice Presidents: Jeff Peterson & Jeannette Peterson (918) Treasurer: David Batow dpbat@cox.net Secretary: Steve Haney (918) Newsletter Editor Geary Fowler Membership Chairman: Paul Bales (918) P.O. Box 4138 Tulsa, Oklahoma Sergeant of Arms: Paul Bales Webmaster: Geary Fowler

A Word From Robert If you lasted through all of the Rain, and where able to get out, Mattel is getting back in the swing of things.

Page 3 Our next meeting them will be Sizzlers Work shop. Bring those old (or new) Sizzlers to get them looked over and ready for the July Meeting Sizzlers races.

(Redlines Only) Customs Workshop November December Toy Drive (Help us make this the best donation year we have ever had!

This was the most new Sizzler models offered at any one time by Mattel.

3 A Word From Robert If you lasted through all of the Rain, and where able to get out, Mattel is getting back in the swing of things. I got a chance to see some or the newest offerings at the last show: Fast Gassin in Green, Custom '53 Cadillac FE in Purple, Bye-Focal 2 FE in blue and the Tri & Stop Me FE in Orange. Page 3 Our next meeting them will be Sizzlers Work shop. Bring those old (or new) Sizzlers to get them looked over and ready for the July Meeting Sizzlers races T-Town Wheeler Meeting Themes -Robert June July August September October Sizzlers work shop (New and old Sizzlers) Sizzlers Races (New and Old Sizzlers) Picnic/Cookout Redline downhill races (Redlines Only) Customs Workshop November December Toy Drive (Help us make this the best donation year we have ever had!) Christmas Party SIZZLERS (continued) (Continued from page 1) known as "long-chassis" Sizzlers. There were 12 new models to choose from. This was the most new Sizzler models offered at any one time by Mattel. The 1971 models included: Anteater Backfire Camaro Trans-Am Cuda Trans-Am Ferrari 512S Hot Wings Indy Eagle Livewire March Formula 1 Sideburn Spoil Sport Straight Scoop Some of these models were made in molded plastic. The Ferrari 512S was offered in molded red only, the Indy Eagle was offered in molded blue only, the Sideburn came mainly in molded black, but molded gray versions are known to exist. The March Formula 1 and Hot Wings came in various molded colors. Also introduced in 1971 was Fat Track. Fat Track was a three-lane wide strip that allowed for awesome passing action. Full Racing Sets, as well as individual Fat Track Strip Paks and Curve Paks allowed racers to make huge sets Track Sets included: Orange Strip Track: High Winder Set Hot WIng 71 Spoil Sport Fat Track: Big O Race Set California 500 Race Set Continued on Page 4

1971 accessories included: Orange Strip Track: High Winder Pak Stunt Loop Pak U-Turn Pak Fat Track: Big O Layout Fat Track Curve Pak Fat Track Strip Pak Scramble Start California 500 Layout Fat Track

4 Continued from Page 3 Page 4 More SIZZLERS - Super Circuit Race Set The accessories offered in 1971 varied greatly. It was also the greatest amount of new accessories offered at any one time for Sizzlers accessories included: Orange Strip Track: High Winder Pak Stunt Loop Pak U-Turn Pak Fat Track: Big O Layout Fat Track Curve Pak Fat Track Strip Pak Scramble Start California 500 Layout Fat Track Post Pak Lap Computer Miscellaneous: Good Timer Stopwatch Sizzlers Lunchbox w/thermos Sizzlers Poster Sizzlers Race Case Sizzlers Race Car w/juice Machine Sizzlers Wristwatch Mattel started scaling back their Sizzlers line in Only four new models were offered. The 1972 models included: Co-Motion Double boiler Flatout Up Roar These were all long-chassis Sizzlers in molded colors track Sets included: Breakin' 8 Set Control Set Mad Scatter Set Super Control Set The Fat Track Control Set with it's plastic hay bales undoubtedly destroyed many a good Sizzler! 1973 ushered in what would be known as Fat Daddy Sizzlers. Fat Daddys are now one of the most highly desired and sought after Sizzlers. They are oversized resulted in a limited number of these produced, pushing collector prices through the roof today models included: Fireworks HiWay Hauler Lawmill Needle Nose Ram Rocket Red Baron Steering Trailer Steering Trailer Set Running these on the Fat Track is a blast! Track sets for 1973 included: Breakin' 8 Set Road Chase Set Road Sprint Set Steering Trailer Set Target Set Target Race Set Wild Oval Set Super Road Chase Set The (Fat Track) Wild Oval Set was probably made to use up old stock. It did not include any cars or charger, and had cheesy printed graphics on the front of the box Accessories included: Pit Box After 1973, there was a hiatus in Sizzler production. Old stock was still available to fill the time frame until 1976, when the Sizzlers II models hit the stores. Five old models and the new Vantom made up the Sizzlers II line for The cars came in chrome and gold chrome. There were slight internal changes to the battery compartment, and the front wheels were changed to the standard "axle through" fare of the current Hot Wheels Models included: Anteater II Camaro II Livewire II Mustang II Sideburn II Vantom Anteater Fat Daddy Red Barron The Vantom and Mustang are the most common 1976 models. Probably because they were the main cars included in the Sizzlers II Silver Circuit Set. When I bought the set at Target in 1976, EVERY set I saw included those two models. The Gold Chrome cars are EXTREMELY rare. They were almost impossible to find in bodies with huge tires. The chassis is the standard Sizzler long chassis. Like the 1973 Hot Wheels, these were made for only one year, with scaled back production runs. This A Limited Edition, Gold-chromed Camaro T/A was released and was sold as part of a set including a gold colored Goose Pump in a sealed blister showpak. This item is very rare and highly collectable. (Continued on page 5)

(Continued from page 4) 1976 Track Sets: Silver Circuit Set Page 5 100% Red Box Paul Bales 1976 accessories included: Silver Metal Stopwatch Silver Goose Pump The Sizzlers line was now seven years

The slot car scene was starting to be dominated by the A/FX Magnatraction, Flamethrower and TYCO Nite-Glow lighted cars. Mattel was losing sales to this trend.

5 (Continued from page 4) 1976 Track Sets: Silver Circuit Set Page 5 100% Red Box Paul Bales 1976 accessories included: Silver Metal Stopwatch Silver Goose Pump The Sizzlers line was now seven years old. There was basically no difference in the design and performance since Mattel needed something different. The slot car scene was starting to be dominated by the A/FX Magnatraction, Flamethrower and TYCO Nite-Glow lighted cars. Mattel was losing sales to this trend. As a last run in 1978, Mattel created an entire new, groundup design for the Sizzlers line called Night Ridin' Sizzlers. Night Ridin' Sizzlers contained six new models for 1978 which had working headlights. These models were made in molded colors and included: Corvette 4-Rotor (Bright Yellow) Dark Shadow (Yellow) Lamborghini (Red) Long Count (Blue) Moonghost (White) Short Fuse (Green) The chassis was redesigned externally (larger switch, 40th Anniversary 100% Hot Wheels Red Box List hexagonal battery compartment) and internally (light connections), but retained the basic shape and size. Track Sets for 1978 included: Day-Night Challenge Race Set Nightmare Alley Race Set Lamborghini After 1978, popularity dropped off and Mattel discontinued the Sizzlers line for good. These cars have regained popularity in the last few years. However, values are still well below Hot Wheels of the same time period, comparatively speaking. This makes it a good buy for collectors or racers wanting to get in the market for some of these cars. Singles 1 '32 Ford Roadster - black 2 '49 Merc - purple 3 '53 Cadillac - silverblue 4 '57 Ford Ranchero - red 5 '59 Cadillac Coupe - gold 6 '66 Pontiac GTO - blue 7 '67 Corvette - green 8 '69 Chevy Chevelle - bronze 9 '69 Plymouth GTX - yellow 10 '69 Pro Street Camaro - green 11 '70 Chevy Nova - gold 12 '70 Dodge Challenger - yellow 13 '70 Mustang - red 14 '70 Plymouth Superbird - purple 15 '71 Chevy Chevelle - red 16 Custom '52 Chevy - lt. blue 17 Mongoose Funny Car - red 18 VW Bug - pink 19 Volkswagen Truck - blue 20 Volkswagen Truck - black (Continued on page 6)

T-Town Wheelers P O Box 54211 Tulsa, OK 74155-0211 E-Mail: microcollector@cox.net VISIT http://microcollector.com often and see what is new with our club.

(Continued from page 5) 100% Red Box Paul Bales Mopar Muscle - '69 GTX / '69 Coronet 40th Anniversary 100% Hot Wheels 2-Car Sets 1 Boulevard Burners - '70 Cuda / '69 Charger 2 Drive-In - '56

6 T-Town Wheelers P O Box Tulsa, OK microcollector@cox.net VISIT often and see what is new with our club. Support the site by clicking the TOP 100 LOGO and voting best for microcollector.com. (Continued from page 5) 100% Red Box Paul Bales Mopar Muscle - '69 GTX / '69 Coronet 40th Anniversary 100% Hot Wheels 2-Car Sets 1 Boulevard Burners - '70 Cuda / '69 Charger 2 Drive-In - '56 Chevy / '57 Nomad 3 Mopar Muscle - '69 GTX / '69 Coronet 4 Motown Metal - '70 Mustang / '69 Camaro 5 Retro Racing - '56 F-100 / '56 Crown Vic 6 Truck Show - '59 Apache / '56 F Volkswagen Flashback - Beetle / Bus 8.Gilmore Special- White 3000 truck / Agajanian Special 9. Car Show- '66 Pontiac GTO / '69 Chevy Chevelle Retro Racing 2 Car Set

Larry Wood Announces Retirement from Mattel

Larry Wood Announces Retirement from Mattel Volume 11, Issue 04 April 2009 INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Larry Wood Retires 1 Ad Listings 2 T-Town Wheelers Corner 2 A Word from Robert 3 TTW Meeting Themes 3 Target Retro Cars 3 Hot Wheel Finds 4 Remember: The